Boiler cleaner



F. 0. NITCH.

BOILER CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED NOV-12. I918.

flTTaRnE vs Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

' pieces Patented ea. 5, 1922.

n so sr as FRANK O. NITCE, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BOILER CLEANER.

Application filed November 12, 1918. Serial No. 262,149.

of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a boiler cleaner or skimmer of that typewherein there are floating mouth pieces maintained at the surface of theboiling water and connected with a suitable conduit so that the openingof the discharge valve from the conduit may enable the pressure withinthe boiler to discharge the scum or other impurities from the surface ofthe water. The general object of the invention is to simplify andimprove the floating structure and enable the mouthto receive scum froma large area of surface and effectively discharge it. of thedifficulties in prior constructions of this type has been that thedevice would not force scum evenly from all parts of the surface butwould discharge through one mouthpiece more or less to the exclusion ofthe others. My invention has been designed after a large amount ofexperimenting with a view to eflecting an even discharge oversubstantially the entire surface of the boiler water. The invention ishereinafter more fully explained in connection with the drawings andits. essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of aboiler, partly broken away, showing my skimming attachment; Fig. 2 is aplan of the skimming attachment; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectionof the skimming attachment looking toward the free end; Fig. 4: is adetail illustrating the tubular hinge connection in the exit pipe; Fig.5 is a perspective of one of the mouthpieces; Fig-6 is a vertical section through the intermediate mouthpiece and an attached tubular brace.

In the drawings, -1 indicates the shell of the boiler; 2 the tubularbody of the floating structure; 3 the mouthpieces; 4 the.

floats supporting the same; 5 the movable exit pipe leading from thefloating structure and having a swiveled and hinged connectiontherewith, and 6 the external discharge pipe extending into the boilerand having a hinged connection with the other end of the exit pipe 5.The external pipe 6 is provided with a blow-off valve 7, which may beopened to discharge scum whenever desired. The specific constructionshown will now be more fully described.

The floating structure comprises a set of intake mouthpieces 3,individual tubes 2 connected therewith, and a header 10 into which thetubes extend. Each mouth piece is a flattened funnel having as itsintake opening a slot 11 extendinglongitudinally of the floatingstructure. The lower end of each funnel is formed into an elbow 12connected with the corresponding tube. 1 have shown three of the funnelintakes, each connected with an individual tube leading to the hollowheader.

To eflectively support the tubular body mentioned and allow it to floaton the surface of the water and tip in any direction as the watersurges, I arrange the floats 4; in pairs, one member of each pair beingon one side of the set of tubes andthe other member on the other side.These floats are suitably connected to blocks 15 clamped to the pipe. Asshown each block has a pair of holes for the passage of two tubes and isprovided with a pair of set screws 16 for clamping the blocks to thetubes. Beneath vthe tube the block has a transverse bore into whichextends studs 17 projecting from disk like members 18 so.- cured to thefloats 4. Thebore referred to is preferably internally threaded and thestuds screwed into such threaded bore are locked by suitable means, asby jam nuts 19.

To rigidly brace the extreme portion of the floating structure wherethere is only one tube 2, I provide a tube or rod 20 which is brazed tothe elbow of the intermediate mouthpiece 3 and at its other end isconnected with the end block 21. The function of this bracing tube is toproperly stiflen the end portion of the structure and supply apropersupport from. the extreme pair of floats. The floats may bepositioned as desired lengthwise of the tubes by adjusting the blocksthereon.

The header 10 into which the various tubes of the body portion extend isconnected by a swiveled hinged and movable tubular connection with theexternal discharge pipe 6. To this end I have shown an intermediate exitpipe, 5 having at one end a hinged and swiveled. connection with thefloating structure and, at

the other end a hinged connection with the discharge pipe. The hingedconnections are preferably made by means of two elbows 9A racing eachother and held together by a bolt 25 passing through them. One elbow hasa reduced extension 2 extending into the other as illustrated in Fig. 4.The plane of separation of the elbows is vertical so that the pipe 5 mayswing in a vertical plane about its outer end and the floating body mayswing also in a vertical plane about the inner end of this movable exittube.

The connection described enables the body to rise and fall with thevarying water level. Tipping of the body about a transverse axis as thewater surges is also allowed by the hinging at the inner end of the exitpipe 5. Tipping about a longitudinal axis is allowed.by reason of theswiveling of the header in the elbow connection on the exit pipe. Thisswiveling is shown as accomplished by means of an extension on theheader projecting into the elbow, a suitable set screw 26 in the elbowprojecting into a groove in the reduced extension prevents separation ofthe parts while allowing the header body to tip axially with referenceto the elbow.

To prevent injury to the floats by reason of their striking against theboiler shell, I provide a pair of bumper loops 30 which are secured tothe end block 21 of the floating structure and lie in a verticaltransverse plane.

It will be seen that the floating device is simple in construction,being readily made and assembled, that there is nothing about it to getout of place in use. The mouth pieces extend a suflicient distance abovethe tubular body so that the floats maintain them just below the surfaceof the water. By providing each month piece with its own tube leading tothe common header I enable the scum to be ellectively forced through allthe mouthpieces. The combined area of the several entrance openings inthe mouth pieces is approximately equivalent to the cross sections ofthe co1nmon discharge conduit. Experience with my skimmer hasdemonstrated that the flow of liquid through the common exit tubereceives its supply through all the mouth pieces and the scum is forcedfrom substantially the entire surface of the boiling water.

Having thus described what I claim is 1. In a device of the characterdescribed, the combination with a set of tubes my invention located sideby side, of a vertically disposed mouthpiece connected with each tube,the upper end of each mouthpiece having a narrow slot and the lower endhaving an elbow connected withone end of the corresponding tube, aheader to which the other end of each tube is connected, a dischargeconduit having a swivel connection with said header, and floats securedto the set of tubes on opposite sides thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a set ofparallel tubes of a header to which the end of each tube is connected, acommon exit pipe swivelly connected with said header, an upwardlyextending mouthpiece carried by each tube, each mouthpiece having anarrow slot positioned parallel to the associated tube and disposed in ahorizontal plane, members extending across the tubes and rigidlyattached thereto, and floats carried by said. members and on oppositesides thereof respectively.

3. The combination with a set of longitudinal tubes side by side and amouth piece for each tube consisting of a flattened funnel havingalongitudinal entrance slot at its top and an elbow at its lower endconnected with the end of a tube, a header with which the various tubesare connected, a plurality of separated floats supporting the structurementioned at each side of said set of tubes, and a discharge pipe havingat its inner end a pair of elbows swiveled together on a transverse axisand a swivel connection between one of said elbows and the header on alongitudinal axis.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination withindividual mouth pieces, of a set of parallel longitudinal tubes locatedside by side and connected with the mouth pieces, a discharge conduitconnected with the tubes, a swivel connection associated with theconduit, said connection having a cross sectional area at least equal tothe sum of the cross sectional areas of the individual tubes, transverseblocksembracing the tubes, and floats se cured to. the blocks onopposite sides thereof.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a set oftubes side by side, a header to which one end of each tube is connected,an exit pipe having a swivel connection with the header, blocks engagingthe tubes, floats on oppositesides of the tnbes, and heads for thefloats secured to said blocks.

6. The combination with parallel tubes side by side, a discharge conduitwith which the tubes are connected at one end, transverse blocksembracing a plurality of the tubes, floats secured to the blocks,individual mouth pieces in the form of flattened funnels having elbowsconnected with the ends of the respective tubes.

7. The combination of a header, a discharge pipe to which it ispivotally connected, a set of parallel longitudinal tubes communicatingwith the header, upwardly extending funnel shaped mouth pieces securedto the other ends of the respective tubes, transverse blocks embracing aplurality of tubes, floats on the opposite sides of the blocks, andmeans securing the floats to the blocks.

8. The combination of a tubular body having mouth pieces and connectedwith the discharge conduit, floats on opposite sides or" the body forsupporting it and a pair of bumpers in the form of loops larger than theoutside of the floats and in longitudinal alignment therewith carriedwith the body for protecting the floats.

9. The combination oi a movable discharge pipe, of a header swiveledthereto, a tubular body connected with the header, a block carried bythe body at its other end, a air of wire bumper loops carried by thelock, mouth pieces for the body,

and supporting floats on opposite sides thereof.

10. The combination of a stationary discharge pipe, of a movable exitpipe within the boiler having a hinge connected with the discharge pipe,a floating tubular body having a hinged connection with said exit pipe,and comprising a set of parallel tubes terminating in a header which isswivelly connected with the inner end of the exit pipe, each tube beingprovided with an upwardly extending intake mouth piece, a block at theers carried by the block and pairs of floats individually on oppositesides of the tubular body connected therewith between said header andsaid end block.

. In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

FRANK O. NITCH.

farther end of the tubes, bump-

